Wednesday, December 17, 2008

WASHINGTON, Dec. 17, 2008 -- Three terrorists were killed and 14 suspects were detained as coalition forces continued to degrade al-Qaida in Iraq facilitation and leadership networks during multiple operations today and yesterday, military officials reported.

Forces targeted al-Qaida leadership early today. A wanted man assessed to be an al-Qaida military leader was captured by coalition forces in Mosul.

Two terrorists believed to be linked to Samarra al-Qaida in Iraq leaders were killed during an operation early today near Tikrit, north of Baghdad. When the assault force entered a building believed to be the location of a wanted terrorist operative, two men grabbed AK-47 assault rifles and attempted to engage forces. Acting in self-defense, the assault force engaged and killed the two armed terrorists. In addition to the two rifles, forces found multiple grenades and magazines in the house. Forces detained two suspects during the operation.

Al-Qaida’s foreign terrorist facilitation networks in northern Iraq were disrupted by forces during two operations today. One terrorist was killed during an operation targeting a wanted man believed to smuggle foreign terrorists into Mosul and throughout Iraq. After the assault force detained one terrorist, the man broke his restraints and attacked a member of the assault force. Perceiving hostile intent, forces engaged and killed the man. Forces detained two additional suspects without further incident.

A wanted man who reportedly has connections to al-Qaida foreign terrorist facilitators was captured today in Talbah, northeast of Mosul. Three suspects assessed to be associates of the man also were detained.

Two suspects believed to be associates of a regional al-Qaida in Iraq leader were detained near Ramadi, northwest of Baghdad.

In Baghdad today, forces detained a man believed to have ties to an al-Qaida weapons facilitator and car bomb operative.

Coalition forces captured a wanted man yesterday in Beiji, south of Mosul. The suspected terrorist is believed to be an al-Qaida cell leader in the city.

Also yesterday near Abu Mariyah, north of Mosul, coalition forces detained a suspect believed to have connections to a suspected al-Qaida foreign terrorist facilitator.

In other operations, tips from concerned citizens led Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers to weapons caches in the Baghdad area yesterday:

A citizen turned in unexploded ordnance to U.S. soldiers north of Baghdad that included a 120 mm projectile and a hand grenade.

A citizen’s tip guided soldiers to a hand grenade and a trip flare north of Baghdad.

U.S. soldiers found a weapons cache west of Baghdad that included two OS-56 projectiles, a 122 mm projectile, a 130 mm projectile, a 155 mm projectile and a 462 projectile.

Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers found a weapons cache south of Baghdad. A citizen led U.S. soldiers to a cache consisting of 23 57 mm projectiles, an 82 mm mortar and four bottles of bulk explosive material south of the Mahmudiyah area of Baghdad.

Iraqi and U.S. soldiers conducted a clearance mission in a Baghdad neighborhood and found several illegal weapons. The soldiers confiscated 12 AK-47 assault rifles, 10 AK-47 magazines, four 9 mm pistols and four 9 mm magazines.